Pol Roger Brut 2008 750ml

Robert Parker's rating system employs a 50-100 point quality scale (Parker Points®). While ratings may influence your decision, the ultimate judgment is your palate.

96 - 100

An extraordinary wine of profound and complex character displaying all the attributes expected of a classic wine of its variety. Wines of this caliber are worth a special effort to find, purchase, and consume.

90 - 95

An outstanding wine of exceptional complexity and character. In short, these are terrific wines.

80 - 89

A barely above average to very good wine displaying various degrees of finesse and flavor as well as character with no noticeable flaws.

70 - 79

An average wine with little distinction except that it is a soundly made. In essence, a straightforward, innocuous wine.

60 - 69

A below average wine containing noticeable deficiencies, such as excessive acidity and/or tannin, an absence of flavor, or possibly dirty aromas or flavors.

50 - 59

Wine Advocate #223, Mar 04, 2016 by Stephan Reinhardt
Great elegance and finesse already on the perfectly brilliant and aromatic nose shows Pol Roger's 2008 Blanc de Blancs Brut, displaying white and stewed apples with fine citrus flavors and discreet chalky aromas. The palate is dense and citric, as if limes and lemons are squeezed on a chalky rock. The purity, power and intensity is as remarkable, as is the finesse and persistence of the bubbles, the mousse on the palate and the long, persistent finish. Dosed with seven grams per liter, this extraordinary Blanc de Blanc Brut tastes drier than the Réserve Brut, but reveals a perfect ripeness of yellow fruits. The finish is lovely aromatic and intense, but also clear, fresh, firm and absolutely stimulating. This is a great Blanc de Blancs from the Grand Cru villages of Oiry, Chouilly, Cramant, Avize and Oger.

Champagne Pol Roger is a prominent Champagne producer based in Epernay. It is known for its elegant, balanced house style made from equal proportions of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, and for its close affiliation with British wartime leader Sir Winston Churchill. The house's top cuvée is named for him.
The house was officially established in 1849, although at least two generations had been involved in the growing Champagne industry before Pol Roger began to make and sell his wine. In the mid-1850s, export became a key focus and the house began to eschew the traditional sweetness of Champagne, producing a drier style that was more in line with British tastes. The house grew throughout the 19th and 20th Centuries, remaining strong throughout the period of American Prohibition and the Russian Revolution. Today, Pol Roger produces around 1.8 million bottles a year.
Pol Roger grows just over half of its grapes on its 89 hectares (220 acres) of estate vineyards, with the rest supplied by contract growers with whom the company has long-term relationships. Everything is done by hand in the winery and Pol Roger is home to the largest remuage team in Champagne, as well as some of the deepest cellars in Epernay. The winery has had considerable investment in the last ten years.